Mixed reaction to cancellation of RSPL football season
Published:Saturday | May 16, 2020 | 12:00 AM
There have been mixed reactions from Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) clubs to the cancellation of the 2019-2020 football season following the announcement by president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Michael Ricketts yesterday.
While officials from leaders Waterhouse, Arnett Gardens, and Dunbeholden endorsed the decision, those at Mount Pleasant and Harbour View expressed their disappointment.
Dunbeholden manager Paul Christie said that since day one of the outbreak locally, he has insisted that football should take a back seat to the health and safety of the nation.
“The decision was made, and I respect the decision. I have definitively stated that football is just a game ... . The life and safety of the populace will always supercede the game. It’s a business, but it’s not that serious,” he said.
“So I will always err on the side of caution. Let it be said that we overreacted in shutting down (football) instead of saying that we restarted too early and endangered the lives of ordinary Jamaicans. The (JFF) president acted in a responsible manner, and I see this as a responsible action. Football is not that serious. Health, life, and safety will always supercede that,” he added.
MATTER OF TIME
Arnett Gardens chairman Mark Golding said that from all indications, it was just a matter of time before the season was cancelled. He believes that clubs will save vital revenue, which would have been lost if the league was to resume.
“Most of the clubs in the Premier League felt this was the inevitable decision. It’s very difficult trying to imagine completing the league with such a contagious virus around. It would expose players, officials, and fans, and we are not really set up to deal with this kind of thing,” he said.
“If it was to continue, it would involve the clubs incurring significant losses because they would not have revenue that would have covered operating cost for the remainder of the season. It is something that has been analysed internally by the clubs, and that seems quite clear. So from a financial perspective and from a health perspective, it makes sense,” he added.
Waterhouse president Donovan White also welcomed the decision.
“Waterhouse fully supports the position of the JFF. The health and wellness of the players, coaching staff, administrators, spectators, and the general public is of paramount importance. We, therefore, stand in support of all initiatives to limit the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
However, Carvel Stewart, chairman of the Harbour View Football Club and vice-chairman of the Premier League Clubs Association, was incensed by the decision, noting that with only a few rounds of matches to go, they could have finished the season. He also pointed out that there would be significant losses in sponsorships due to the cancellation.
“We could have easily completed the season. We have four rounds of matches to complete the preliminary round, and we would have done that in one and a half weeks and then we would have about another two and a half weeks to complete the league so we could truly determine who are the winners and losers for 2019-2020. But as it stands, there will be none,” he said while adding that they stand to lose over $30 million in sponsorships.
Mount Pleasant’s manager, David Galloway, said his club was also disappointed but opted not to comment further on the move by the JFF.